Featuring Ruth Ann Harnisch and The Harnisch Foundation
Why Fund Community Supported Journalism for Coaching?
It was my distinct pleasure to ask Ruth Ann Harnisch a series of questions about the CSJ project for Coaching. In particular, I wanted to understand her thought process and hopes for the project based on her personal experience in both coaching and journalism.
Since as a coach I’m such a fan of asking the question ‘how much good can a person do with their one life’ a la Buckminster Fuller who famously posed that question first, it seems to me that the CSJ is an incredible example of each life being perfect for a unique purpose. Who better than Ruth Ann, I wondered, to have spearheaded and supported this advance in journalism, and then to implement it in the laboratory of coaching?
I can think of no other, but you get to decide for yourself via this 2-minute video and set of ‘raw and uncut’ Q&A:
Click the image at right to jump to the video page…
The CSJ concept is a little complex for people who don’t understand what’s been going on in journalism. Could you explain it simply, perhaps give an analogy?
The idea came from professor Leonard Witt of Kennesaw State University in Georgia, who proposed the concept of “Representative Journalism” on his blog (http://pjnet.org), which I read about on the Poynter Institute’s website (http://poynter.org).
Professor Witt defined a “Representative Journalist” as a journalist who covered a specific beat for a specific constituency. He proposed several possibilities - a journalist could report on a Florida wetlands area for people who cared about the ecological health of that particular region, for example.
| I thought that was a brilliant idea, and got in touch with Professor Witt. “I’d like to hire one of those,” I told him. “It would be great to have a Representative Journalist cover coaching.” Len explained that his idea was, at that time, just an idea. There weren’t any Representative Journalists. After much discussion, he convinced me to postpone the hiring of a “Rep J” to cover coaching. Instead, he asked me to fund an experiment in Representative Journalism that he thought would prove his concept. |
“It would be great to have a journalist cover coaching. I’d like to hire one of those,” said Ruth Ann Harnisch.
|
So The Harnisch Foundation granted initial funding for a journalist to work in the community of Northfield, Minnesota, producing local stories for a specific geographic region. This journalist paved the way, pioneering the concept of engaging the readers in the journalism.
Len’s enthusiasm for this, and other experimental models of producing journalism in a time when the production and distribution of ethically gathered, high-quality information is challenged, led to the creation of The Center for Sustainable Journalism at KSU. The Harnisch Foundation provided initial funding for this. (http://thehf.org)
The time seemed right to hire the journalist to cover coaching. I don’t think the term “Representative Journalist” conveys the essence of the work or the role of the reporter. So I asked Len to look for a “Community Supported Journalist.” What this means is that we expect the community of readers, viewers, and listeners to support what the journalist is producing - with information, ideas, sources, facts, and, eventually, money.
The Harnisch Foundation is providing initial funding for the journalist, but we hope - indeed, we expect - that the community of coaches and those who are interested in the field will find Mark Joyella’s work so valuable that they will be willing to help pay for it.
What is the best thing that could come out of Coaching having a CSJ?
I think the best thing would be a greater awareness, worldwide, of “all things coaching” which could lead to a greater acceptance and use of professional coaches by individuals, businesses, organizations, and others. It could lead to greater knowledge about the essence of the “coaching conversation,” the elements of which could be useful for everyone. My own coach training has helped me to have better conversations with everyone, and has certainly changed the way I relate to all people. Conversations can help bring out the greatness in others, and what could be better for the world than each person maximizing his or her potential for greatness in this life?
Who is selecting the stories Mark will write?
Mark will select his stories in collaboration with Linda Ballew, who runs The Coaching Commons (http://coachingcommons.org) and who has served as editor of The Chronicle of Coaching since its inception. Anyone is welcome to suggest stories!
What kinds of stories are you looking for?
We’re looking for the news - what’s happening in the field that’s important for others to know? I’m not talking about a press release announcing someone’s new coaching class - sorry, this isn’t a promotional vehicle for coaches or coaching. For example, when the government of Australia announces a multi-million dollar grant to study coaching, that’s news. When a business adds a staff of internal coaches, that’s news.
We’re looking for coverage of important events in coaching - Mark will solicit attendees at conferences to blog and tweet about what’s happening. He’ll interview people to share their impressions.
We’re looking for features, unusual stories, transformations - most people know a good story when they see one! (Again, sorry, but a coach starting a blog is not the kind of story we’re looking for.)
Do we need to be worried about something being ‘found out’ about Coaching?
As a coach, I believe that worrying is not productive, so I would say there’s no “need to be worried” about anything, anytime, by anyone. I hope people will always channel the energy that could be directed toward worrying into something more productive or pleasurable. If there’s something to be ‘found out,’ should we not welcome that?
Thomas Leonard taught that we should “relish the truth,” and I try to do that.
Anyone who’s ever worked with a good coach - and every good coach - knows that transformation and growth happen when we move outside of our comfort zone and into an area of discomfort. So if there’s to be growth and transformation as Coaching evolves, I think a certain amount of discomfort is not only inevitable, it is desirable.
| That said, Mark Joyella is not a “GOTCHA!” kind of reporter. He is not charged with “digging up the dirt,” and he wasn’t brought to The Coaching Commons for the purpose of exposing, embarrassing, or unmasking anyone or anything. He’s here to tell the truth without fear or favor, and if you are aware of something that deserves a closer look, you should tell him. |
“There is no agenda to dig up dirt, expose, embarass or unmask. Nor is Mark Joyella a “GOTCHA!” kind of reporter.” |
What can the community do to support this project, and support Mark in his success?
People can begin interacting with Mark immediately - in fact, many have already started writing to him at The Coaching Commons. Please feel free to give him story ideas, opinions, and feedback.
We’ll also be asking the community to begin contributing more than just ideas - we’ll be asking the community to support the journalism financially.
How do we reach Mark?
You can be sure to find Mark at www.coachingcommons.org where he will be busily posting stories, replying to comments and more. To reach him privately by email, use gioiella@gmail.com or follow him on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/coachreporter
Is it cool that Coaching gets one early in the game or is it risky somehow?
It’s both! Coaches love to hold contradicting notions, right? I’m excited about the field of coaching having a Community Supported Journalist very early in the game because it will help us to achieve one of the goals of HAVING a CSJ - to help spread the word about coaching worldwide.
There’s a great deal of attention being focused on innovative ways to gather, distribute, and pay for high-quality journalism right now in an age of dying old media. The traditional methods of paying for journalism are evaporating. Even if we weren’t in a challenging economy putting pressure on the local, regional, and national advertisers whose dollars have been the lifeblood of media, technology and the swift transformation of systems for disseminating information began dealing fatal blows to the old ways.
|
While people are searching for the future of journalism, attention is being paid to a variety of experiments, and this is certainly a pioneering effort. It will be studied by academics, as well as media experts, journalists seeking a model for their own future streams of income, and others who wonder if the model of Community Supported Journalism is sustainable.
It’s risky, of course, because it could fail. The journalism could fail to find an audience willing to support it with personal involvement and with dollars. My personal hope is that the passionate community of coaches will care deeply about putting coaching on the media map as a distinctive beat.
|
“If this experiment in a new way to do journalism is to succeed, the community has to give a ‘bleep’ enough to support it. Many will be watching to see if it flies or fails. “ |
If our Community Supported Journalist succeeds, he will produce so many relevant, fascinating, and universally useful stories that others will want to cover coaching too.
What has been involved behind the scenes for the HF to find and retain Mark?
We advertised in several online venues that attract journalists. We chose the online route because we were seeking a professional who is already living in the digital world. We were grateful to have dozens of well-qualified professionals applying for the position. However, Mark was not one of the people who saw the job advertised online. Perhaps it’s significant to note that we heard of him through a personal connection. Mike James, publisher and editor of http://newsblues.com is a well-connected online journalist who happened to be a guest in my home. I was telling him about our search, and he asked if we had considered Mark. I told him I didn’t think Mark had applied. I explained that we were already finished with the application process, well into the interview phase, and that we expected to make a hire within a week.
“Do you mind if I tell him about this?” he asked. “Go ahead,” I said, but I said it was unlikely a last-minute applicant could jump the line.
Well, Mark’s experience, skills, attitude and personality, not to mention his multi-media savvy and online presence, impressed us tremendously. We are honored to have this award-winning reporter covering the coaching beat for The Coaching Commons.
What is the arrangement?
Mark’s compensation comes from The Harnisch Foundation. He has agreed to produce a certain number of original blog posts, interviews, reports on current academic research in coaching, and to respond to others on The Commons.
Why did the HF decide to fund the CSJ out of all the things it could do?
As I told Mark, he personifies “the perfect storm” of interest for The Harnisch Foundation. We fund innovation in philanthropy, coaching, and journalism. In Mark, we are investing in a cutting-edge experiment in the future of journalism, covering the Coaching beat, which we hope will be funded next by the philanthropic contributions of those who see value in what he’s producing. It’s one of the most specific-to-our-target philanthropic investments we have ever made.
|
In Mark, we are investing in a cutting-edge experiment in the future of journalism, covering the Coaching beat, which we hope will be funded next by the philanthropic contributions of those who see value in what he’s producing. It’s one of the most specific-to-our-target philanthropic investments we have ever made.
What is the best thing that could come out of Coaching having a CSJ?
Greater awareness, worldwide, of what coaching contributes to business, to organizations, to the quality of the lives of individuals. Greater interest in employing coaches. More people learning the skills of the professional coach to employ in their personal and business lives.
|
“For the first year, Mark’s compensation comes from the Harnisch Foundation. Thereafter, it will be up to the coaching community to say what the value of their CSJ is to them. The goal is a self-sustaining journalist role for coaching, supported by coaches. |
What is the best thing that could come out of having a CSJ for the average everyday Coach?
Is there such a thing as an average, everyday coach? I find coaches extraordinary! That said, most coaches could and should benefit from having high-quality information about current events, trends, developments, and best practices in the field. They should also benefit from a better-informed public, because we hope the general public will learn more about the depth and richness of the field from this journalism.
Should it lead to more qualified, high profile, other clients?
We certainly hope that’s the case. Mark is not only free to, but is encouraged to place his coaching-related stories in other publications. We hope his work will be reproduced and reprinted in a variety of media.
Here are your 5 thought-provoking snippets of wisdom about people for this week, from the collection by Thomas Leonard and assembled by his R&D team. We hope you’ll find them useful and meaningful in your daily life.
What the Ultimate Entrepreneur Toolkit represents, in addition to extreme value (truly 20 times the value for the price of 1), carefully selected material that actually make up a toolkit you can come back to again and again…more than either of those things, the people behind this project are of the topmost quality. I’m delighted from within to be involved.
An example of what a full inventory of products looks like, yes, even online, including the tone of the messaging there, the better to derive ideas for your own market positioning…
“It still astounds me that this simple business model is so incredibly powerful. With thousands of people on my list and this kind of income, I didn’t need an MBA, all I needed was 
